


Civil War

by Emily_F6



Series: Penny Parker Prompts [23]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Female Peter Parker, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Penny Parker - Freeform, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:54:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26159830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: Penny is a stowaway during the battle in Civil War
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Penny Parker Prompts [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899553
Comments: 8
Kudos: 211





	Civil War

It hadn't been so much a conscious decision as an impulse. And yeah, technically she would be considered a stowaway, but...but Penny had to do it. Had to go with him. Because something bad was happening. She didn't need her enhanced senses to tell her that. Something bad was happening and Mr. Stark...well...he was going to need her help. Not that he would ask...and not that it was Penny's place to offer. She'd had a total of three real conversations with the man...but she still had to go. She had to help. It's what she did.

Penny crouched in the back of the jet, staying absolutely still and quiet as they landed. She couldn't let him catch her...couldn't let him stop her from being backup. From what she'd heard so far, he was going to find Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Who they'd just fought at an airport. Penny shook her head. Her life was really weird. Still...she was going to help him. But not unless he needed it. If he didn't, she would just...stay hidden. Keep quiet. Hope he didn't notice the fact that he had a teen stowaway.

She waited, crouched in the back, holding tight to the wall, as Mr. Stark got out of the jet. Her senses were quiet, so he hadn't noticed her. Then again, he had seemed pretty focused. Single-minded. As much as she looked up to Mr. Stark, she didn't think he was going to confide in someone like her. He was Tony Stark. She was...nobody, really. Just some kid from Queens. And she knew why he wanted her. Her powers. She was strong...maybe strong enough to subdue Captain America. Spider-Girl could be an asset. But Penny Parker? She was nobody.

When he was finally gone, she took a hesitant step forward, then stood up, stretching a little. Her back ached and she'd been so still for so long that it felt like her legs were asleep. Still, she moved to the door of the jet, looking around the corner before hopping down. It was quiet, but she could hear voices in the distance. Familiar voices. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. And Mr. Stark. She crept forward...it didn't sound like they were fighting, but she grabbed the wall, climbing up to the ceiling and continuing to creep forward.

She was backup. So she'd wait until she was needed. If this all went well, maybe she'd be able to sneak back on board without anyone being any the wiser. She could hide until they got back to Germany and slip back into her hotel room. The chances that Happy hadn't noticed she was gone...well...okay, so they were slim to none. And the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize her place with Mr. Stark.

But she couldn't let him walk in there alone. She just couldn't. So she continued to creep forward, the new suit allowing her to move silently down the dark corridor. They were still talking...as long as they were still talking...and so was someone else. It sounded like a voice on a microphone.

"I know that road." Mr. Stark said quietly, and she peered around the corner, sticking firmly to the ceiling, her entire body pressed there. "What is this?" He called, voice raised, but sounding more confused than anything.

And then the movie was playing. It looked like old video footage from a surveillance camera...a car slamming something...and then a man walking onto the scene. Bucky Barnes, she realized. The Winter Soldier. When she got a closer look at the screen, her stomach dropped, eyes going wide.

His parents. Those were Mr. Stark's parents.

When it was over, Tony took a step toward the Winter Soldier, but Captain Rogers grabbed his arm. "Tony...Tony…"

Mr. Stark gave him a long look. And then he pulled back a fist, slamming it into Steve Rogers's face. Bucky Barnes took aim, but Mr. Stark shot him with a repulsor...and then they were all in action. Penny huddled in her spot, watching as they fought...watching as Mr. Stark dragged Bucky Barnes to the ground and aimed his repulsor, but before he could shoot, the shield came flying and slammed into his head. Penny moved forward then, not sure what to do. She was sure that Mr. Stark could take them...that he could beat them. He was Iron Man! So she stayed out of sight and watched with a sinking heart as her heroes went after one another.

"It wasn't him, Tony!" Steve Rogers finally spoke as the building seemed to be falling apart around them. Penny had no idea what was happening...why the building seemed to be collapsing, but she dodged the falling debris as best she could and kept an eye on Mr. Stark. If he needed help, she would step in. "Hydra had control of his mind!"

"Move!" Iron Man snapped, lifting off the ground. But Steve jumped, grabbing the leg of the suit and beating his shield against the repulsor.

"It wasn't him!"

They disappeared from view for just a minute then, Mr. Stark stumbling forward when his repulsor quit, and then he was chasing Bucky Barnes again. She lost them for a moment and shot a web, moving as quietly as she could and sticking to the wall. They were in a...a silo? She couldn't tell. But the top was coming off and letting cold air in and she was just watching...because the moment she stepped in, Mr. Stark would know that she'd followed him. And she couldn't let him know. Not unless he needed help. Really needed it. Surely they wouldn't actually kill each other, right?

There was the sound of an explosion, and Penny heard them all fall. She shot another web, sticking herself to the ceiling around the corner and watching as the three faced each other in a large, open space. Outside, she could see the mountains and the snow...they were in Russia. She'd never even left the state of New York before, and now she'd been to both German and Russia in one week!

"This isn't going to change what happened." They were all exhausted, she could tell. Steve Rogers was trying to protect Bucky Barnes...but he'd killed Mr. Stark's parents! Whether or not he'd meant to, whether or not he'd been brainwashed...he'd still killed them! And Mr. Stark had just watched him do it! Penny's thoughts flashed to her own parents and she flinched, shaking her head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. Not when she needed to make sure Mr. Stark was okay.

When Mr. Stark spoke, his voice was flat...almost dead. "I don't care. He killed my mom."

They were fighting again, Mr. Stark managing to hold the other two off for a moment, and Penny waited desperately for them to stop. She wanted to scream...wanted to jump down and beg them to stop! But she felt frozen as two of her childhood heroes (and the Winter Soldier) beat the shit out of one another. Mr. Stark went down on one knee when the shield bashed into him, but he was giving as good as he got, shooting a repulsor at Rogers and punching Barnes in the face, knocking them both back.

And then Bucky Barnes had him against the wall, grabbing for the arc reactor that powered his suit. A blast shot from it, and when Barnes stood back up, his arm was gone. The metal one...it was smoldering at his shoulder, and the man stared at it for a long minute. Rogers jumped up once more, shield up, and Mr. Stark shot his repulsor at it...for what felt like too long, they stood there, the bright light from Mr. Stark's repulsor bouncing off of Captain Roger's shield.

Steve Rogers knocked him back. Again and again, he pulled the shield back and bashed it against the Iron Man suit...and Mr. Stark wasn't fighting back!

"Analyze his fight pattern." Mr. Stark ordered his AI, and Penny's stomach knotted itself up. This wasn't like the airport. This wasn't fighting to restrain someone. They were beyond talking, and she wasn't really a superhero...she was a little girl from Queens who'd been bitten by a spider and lucked herself into superpowers.

Mr. Stark caught the shield then, gripping it in a metal encased hand. "Let's kick his ass." He was holding his own again...but were they fighting to kill? Would Mr. Stark really kill Captain America? When he threw the man into the concrete supports, Penny held her breath. "Stay down. Final warning." Mr. Stark ordered.

He didn't stay down. He was back on his feet, fists up, and Penny shook her head, biting down on her lip. Stay down, she begged him silently. Please...please stop fighting. Please...the world needs you guys and...and I'm scared.

Steve moved so quickly she almost didn't notice. One moment, Iron Man was kicking Barnes away from where he'd grabbed the back of the suit. The next, Steve Rogers had picked Mr. Stark up and thrown him onto the ground...he pulled back and pummeled his fists into the suit over and over, and Penny heard every clang and every grunt forced out of Mr. Stark's mouth and this wasn't supposed to happen this wasn't supposed to be how it all ended and...and he lifted the shield then, slamming it down on her menor...the shield that Mr. Stark's dad had made him...the shield that he had used to fight nazis and war criminals and aliens and bad guys...he was slamming it down on Mr. Stark over and over and he wasn't getting up!

The helmet was knocked away, revealing Mr. Stark's face, and Spider-Girl couldn't wait anymore. Couldn't sit on the sidelines and pray that they would come to their senses. Mr. Stark brought up his hands, protecting his face, and Steve Rogers lifted the shield, aiming for his arc reactor.

She didn't know if she could hold him back for long. She didn't know if her webs would hold against his full strength. She was strong but so was he, and he and Bucky Barnes were both enhanced. But she knew that she could protect Mr. Stark.

Penny launched herself forward, slipping between the shield and Mr. Stark's arm reactor. He needed it. It was right over his heart and he had a heart condition and the arc reactor powered his suit...and the shield came down.

"Kid!"

She couldn't help the scream...couldn't stop it as she curled up on her side over him, and the shield came down on her side and she could feel something being crushed...could feel her ribs break. Steve Rogers jerked back and she took the only chance she knew she was going to get, bringing a hand up and punching him in the side of the head, knocking him off of Mr. Stark. Lifting her wrist, she shot a web, not letting go of the trigger until he was stuck firmly to the floor a few feet away.

Bucky moved toward her, eyes narrow as he prepared to attack, and she leapt up, landing lightly on her feet and ignoring the sharp pain that went up her side.

"Kid, what the hell!"

She ignored Mr. Stark too, ducking under a fist that swung at her face and shooting a web at his hand. He only had one arm, so it was a little easier to dodge and duck under his flesh and blood hand. He caught the web, pulling back hard and forcing her forward a few steps. She ducked another punch, bringing up her foot to kick him in the side, but he grabbed her ankle and forced her leg up, twisted her around and throwing her to the ground. Penny hit the concrete hard, but she jumped back up...and then a repulsor blast shot right past her and threw Bucky Barnes into the wall.

Penny turned to find Mr. Stark standing a few feet away, hand up, but his eyes were on her, not Bucky Barnes. "What the hell?" He asked again.

"I…" She started, glancing over at Steve Rogers who was staring at them from the floor where she'd stuck him. Her ribs were killing her and her chest hurt and she knew that she needed to eat something and lay down and wait for them to heal but she needed to stay upright. Needed to explain the feeling she'd had.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm back up." She tried, giving a weak smile under her mask.

"No, you're a stowaway." He half-snapped, pointing his finger at her. "What the hell were you thinking?" Penny opened her mouth to respond...to try and explain, but her side gave a throb and she gripped her side. "Kid?" He asked, moving forward, hand outstretched, and she thought that at least he didn't look angry anymore as she dropped to her knees, groaning at the pain that only got worse when she hit the concrete. "Shit...hang on, kid...hang on."

"Is...is she…" Steve Rogers started, but shook his head, eyes focusing on Penny so intently that she wondered if he could see through her suit and through her skin to the broken bones she could feel in her side.

"Scan her."

"I didn't mean to…" Captain Rogers started as Mr. Stark knelt at her side.

"It appears that Spider-Girl…" Friday started.

"Tony…"

"Shut up!" Mr. Stark snapped, and Penny flinched a little. He wasn't talking to her, though. He was holding her arm, and she could hear his AI talking in his ear.

"It appears that Spider-Girl has four broken ribs, one of which is pressing on her lungs. It would be best if she remained still."

"Tony, I swear, I didn't mean to...I didn't know…"

"What the fuck is your problem? What, were you trying to kill me?" Despite his furious words, his hands were gentle as he eased her onto the ground, helping her lie sideways, the pressure off of her side finally. "Lay down, kid. You're alright." He urged, voice tight.

"I...I don't…" Steve Rogers stuttered a little, sounding shell shocked, as if someone had poured cold water over him. Bucky Barnes remained against the wall, watching them with wide eyes. "You were going to…"

Mr. Stark didn't answer him, and Penny couldn't hold back the cough then, her whole body jerking, and she gasped in pain, a hand going to her side once more.

"Is she…" Barnes started, starting to get up, and Penny heard the repulsor charge again.

"Stay down!"

"I didn't know she was going to get in the middle of this!" Steve cried.

Penny coughed again, and she squeezed her eyes shut, gripping her side and trying to gasp for air that didn't come. "Kid!" Mr. Stark cried as she dropped the rest of the way, hands bracing herself against the floor. "Shit! Friday?"

"What's wrong with her?" Steve Rogers asked, struggling to break the webs that held him to the floor.

"You broke her fucking ribs and one of them punctured a lung, that's what's wrong with her!"

"Here…" Bucky Barnes called, hurrying over, but he froze when Mr. Stark pointed his gauntlet at him.

"Stay back!"

Penny dropped her head, Mr. Stark's hand the only things holding her up, and he eased her down to the ground, rolling her over so that he could lay on her back. Mouth open, she struggled for air and felt her head spin.

"Let me help!" Sergeant Barnes cried.

"No…"

Penny wanted him to help. She couldn't believe it, but she'd take whatever help she could get at this point as she gasped for air that refused to fill her lungs. "Mr…" She gasped, wheezing. "Mr. Stark…"

"Hang on kid...just...just hang on." He urged, not looking angry...not anymore. He looked scared. She'd never thought she'd see Mr. Stark look so afraid.

"Stark…"

"If you hurt her…" Mr. Stark started, and Bucky Barnes seemed to take that as all the permission he needed.

"Lift her mask! Now!" He ordered, dropping to his knees and pressing his head to her chest. Penny had never been so close to him...she could see the roots of his hair and the flecks of blood on his temple as Mr. Stark lifted the bottom of her mask slowly, revealing only her mouth and nose. "Do you have medical supplies on the jet?"

"Yeah." Mr. Stark bit out.

"We need to get her to the jet. Now."

Black spots started to connect in her vision, and Penny let her eyes close. "Kid!" Mr. Stark snapped, patting her face. "You've got to stay with us, okay?"

"I'm sorry…" She started, the words coming out breathy and painful.

"Apologies later, kid. Just stay with me." Arms reached out for her, scooping her up and Penny's head dropped back before a hand cradled it and placed it against Mr. Stark's shoulder. "You're alright. We're going to get you some help, okay? The Manchurian Candidate here is going to fix you up. You're okay."

His words started to fade as the spots got darker and darker, and before long, she felt herself drifting. Mr. Stark was putting her down at some point, and then something stabbed her in the side, making her thrash and scream in pain, but two strong arms held her down and there was so much yelling…

"How old is she?"

"Shut up, Steve!" That sounded like Bucky Barnes.

"She's a kid!"

"A kid whose ribs you crushed with your shield!" Mr. Stark snapped.

Penny wanted them to stop wanted it all to stop wanted them to be quiet and wanted someone to hold her hand it hurt!

"I didn't know she was going to jump in the middle…"

"No, you were trying to fucking kill me!"

"Both of you, shut up!" And then it was quiet. Something was pressed over her mouth...and a hand slipped into hers. "If you're going to scream at each other, do it somewhere else."

"You don't get to walk in here…"

"She's, what, thirteen? And she's crying!" Barnes snapped, and the others were quiet once more as Penny realized that yes, she was crying. Silent tears dripped from her tightly shut eyes ad down her cheeks. "She's already freaked out." He spoke a little more quietly now, voice soft and intense. "So if you two want to fight, do it somewhere else."

Penny felt like she must have slept...but when she woke again, air was easier to breathe...it felt like her lungs were working again. She took deep breaths of that precious air and opened her eyes, bringing a weak, uncoordinated hand up to her face where she found an oxygen mask...but no regular mask.

"Kid?" Mr. Stark asked quietly, leaning into her field of vision. She blinked at him, lowering her hand. He sat at her side, hands clasped in his lap. He looked afraid. Seriously afraid. Penny blinked at him again, starting to sit up, but he held up a hand. "Don't...don't get up. You...you're okay. You just have to...stay still, okay?"

Penny took a moment...and then she remembered. She remembered what had happened. What she'd done. "I'm sorry." She whispered, dropping her eyes.

Mr. Stark was quiet for long enough that she looked up at him, stomach clenching in worry when he didn't answer.

"I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have followed you. I'm sorry."

"You could have died." He told her then, voice soft and serious. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I just...I wanted to help." She whispered.

Mr. Stark stood, and Penny wanted to beg him not to go...not to leave her here alone. But she didn't. He wasn't her father. He wasn't her uncle. He was...he was Iron Man, and she was sure he was busy. "I'm gonna let you get some rest." He muttered, not looking at her, then turning and leaving her there.

Penny wasn't alone for longer than a few minutes before someone else was entering her room. She opened her eyes, stiffening a little in surprise when she saw Bucky Barnes step into her line of vision, his lips turned down into a worried frown. She didn't know what to say...what she could say. He and Captain Rogers had been fighting Mr. Stark. Barnes had killed Mr. Stark's parents. But he'd been brainwashed...Penny felt like she didn't belong here...like she'd gotten herself caught up in something that was none of her business.

But that feeling...she'd had to help! She'd had to do something!

"How you feeling, kid?"

"Fine." She muttered from beneath the oxygen mask, dropping her eyes.

"Yeah?"

Penny nodded. She didn't know what to say to him. Didn't know what she could say. "Where...where are we?" She finally asked.

"Medbay at the tower." Penny looked up at him in surprise and he gave a wry smile. "Stark let me stay as long as I was helping you. We didn't exactly have a real doctor on board and I had some training...from my army days."

"I shouldn't have been there." She whispered, and to her horror, she felt tears starting to fill her eyes. "I...I let him down. And…" Her lip trembled and she bit down on it, turning her face so that Barnes wouldn't see her. She figured he'd leave too. The man didn't strike her as the type to comfort sad kids who'd webbed him to the floor. So she was surprised when a hand touched hers.

"He's not mad at you, kid. And...well, no, you shouldn't have been there. But I think you stopped Steve from doing something he really would have regretted."

"He doesn't want to talk to me."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't want to talk to me either." The man said wryly. She just stared at him and he sighed, softening a little. "Tony was scared shi….scared to death. Hell, he wouldn't leave your side...hasn't left your side for hours. Penny sniffed, feeling her cheeks color, but he just patted her hand. "It's gonna be alright, Spider-Girl. Just go back to sleep. With your healing, you should be just fine by the time you wake up. And I'm sure Tony will talk to you then."

She wasn't sure what made her ask...what made her trust Bucky Barnes, but the next words seemed to escape of their own volition. "Do you...do you think he'll take my suit back?"

Bucky Barnes regarded her for a long moment, lips twitching into a half smile. "Doesn't matter. You're a superhero with or without it."


End file.
